Weathering the Storm
by broncoboy13
Summary: Sometimes fear is the biggest storm of all.


**Aloha, everybody! I sincerely hope you all enjoyed Take Care of Me. But now that it's done, I've decided to write yet another story. However, it'll just be a one shot. I'm just writing this to keep the creative juices flowing, you know?**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy! **

I hate rushing. I literally hate it. It frustrates me, it makes me tense, it makes me forget things, it makes me tired… just about anything you do when you're rushed negatively effects something you plan on doing later in the day.

Yes, I'll say it again. I HATE rushing. And here I am, sprinting back and forth across my room, desperately trying to find my purse.

"Trina, have you seen my purse?" I ask her.

She pokes her head out of her bedroom door with a disgusted look on her face, almost like she was offended my unworthy mouth spoke her name.

"No." She scoffs. "I wouldn't be caught dead with that ugly thing on my shoulder."

"A simple 'no, I haven't' would've worked, you know?"

She rolls her eyes and shuts her door.

My frantic pacing across my bedroom floor quickens as the time of which I have to leave gets closer and closer. Why can't I just stick to a schedule? I'm a relatively organized person. I keep track of what I'm supposed to do in a day- my tasks and stuff. But keeping good time? It's like watching a newborn baby try to walk. It never works.

I can actually feel my body tensing. My hands are beginning to shake. My breaths become short and jagged. I dare to look at my clock and see that it's just five minutes until I have to leave.

"Tori, you were supposed to be walking out the door right now. What is your problem?" I ask myself. Some say talking to yourself is a sign of insanity. And I completely agree. I'm going insane.

I know that running late is a stupid thing to get worked up over. I don't even know where this whole opposition to not being on time came from. It's just like any other fear or phobia… wasps, spiders, darkness… anything. Of course, mine may not be considered a fear, just more of a… I really don't know what to call it. But it's not a fear.

"Trina!" I shout. If she rolls her eyes at me, I swear, I'll kill her. She comes running into my room.

"What the hell do you want?" She asks, harshly.

"Well, I…" I stop. "Are you wearing that?"

She's got short denim shorts on with a low cut top on. Her boobs look like they're pushed up to her chin and her heels are four inches high.

"Yes, I'm wearing this. Do you have a problem with it?"

I shrug, fighting back the urge to laugh. "I mean, I don't have a problem with you looking like a hooker if you don't mind it."

She gasps, shocked at my last statement. It was harsh, yes, but it's very, very true. She looks terrible.

"I do not look like a stripper." She says.

"I didn't say stripper. I said hooker."

"You know what; you're just talking out of your ass. You know I look good. Why don't you tell me exactly what you see wrong with this. Let's see how much sense this makes."

I analyze the outfit, seeing how many things I can point out.

"Well, for one, you're obviously trying to make yourself look like a 32D, when everyone at Hollywood Arts knows that you're a 34B. Your boobs look fake. Two: your legs aren't built for those shorts. They show off way too much of your thighs. And…" I feel her shin. "Nobody likes stubble."

Her face is red as Cat's hair. I can see anger boiling up inside her. The only thing that needs to happen now is for steam to come out of her ears like Popeye.

"Don't worry about me!" She yells. "What did you want?"

"I was going to ask you if you were sure you haven't seen my purse." I say.

"Do you want to go check my room yourself?" She huffs, put out by my question.

I nod at her and enter her room. The place smells terrible. It smells of sweat, dirty clothes, and sex. Maybe my sister is a hooker. I don't know.

"Okay, I can't… What's this?" I ask, holding up my purse.

"Good, great, so you found it. You should get a cookie." She pushes me out of her room and slams the door behind me. I shrug her obnoxious attitude off and walk down the stairs.

"Hey, Mom." I say, reaching the living room.

"Hey, sweetie. Want some eggs?" She asks.

"No, thank you, though. I actually have to get going." I look at my phone to get the time and my eyes nearly pop out of my head. It's five minutes past the time I have to leave.

Without even saying goodbye to my mom, I sprint out the door and jump into my car. I quickly reverse out of my driveway and begin driving towards Cat's house.

I pull out my Pear Phone and click on Cat's contact.

**"Hiiiiiii!" **She says, cheerfully.

"Hey, Cat. I'm on my way." I say, a little less peppy.

**"Great, Tori! Running a little late today, are we?" **She asks.

"Don't remind me. I completely lost track of time. Believe me, I didn't forget about you."

**"I didn't think you did. Are you okay? You seem a bit… off."**

"Uh, yeah, I guess. I'm a little bit stressed because I'm running late. But otherwise, I'm just fine. Thank you for asking, girlie." I say, a smile tugging at my lips.

**"Tori, really, it's no problem. We still have quite a while to go before school officially starts. Just try to calm down. It's not a big deal." **I hear her laugh a little through the microphone. It makes me laugh.

"Are you sure?"

**"Trust me, it's fine. Being a little late won't hurt." **I guess she's right. **"So you're on your way?" **She asks.

"Sure am… I'll probably be there in, oh… I don't know… two or three minutes. Sound good?" I ask

**"That sounds awesome! Do you think we could sing a few songs when you get here?" **

"Absolutely! I'll see you in a few, Cat." I smile.

**"Bye, Tori!" **A little beep lets me know that the call has ended. As soon as I put my phone down, however, it rings again.

"Hey, mom, what's up?"

**"Where are you?" **She asks.

"Mom, I am so, so, so, sorry. I know I didn't tell you I was leaving, but I just looked at the clock and realized I had to go. Cat needed me to pick her up today." I didn't even get my eggs.

**"You didn't even call me?" **She asks as I pull into Cat's driveway. I honk my horn, signaling Cat that I'm waiting for her.

"Cat called me immediately after I got in the car. I'm really sorry."

**"I guess it's fine. I was just making sure you were okay." **

"Yep. Just fine." I say, just as Cat exits her front door. "Did you need anything else?"

**"No, actually, I was calling to tell you that your father and I are going to San Francisco tonight to see your grandma Thelma Lou. She tripped and fell a day or so ago and hurt her hip, so we're going to drive there and see her… make sure she has everything she needs. We're leaving around six o'clock, tonight."**

"Please tell me you guys are taking Trina with you." I say. Cat opens the passenger's side door and sets her book bag inside before climbing inside, herself. I hold up a finger, smiling, letting her know I wouldn't be long. She nods.

**"Well, we weren't planning on it. Do you want us to?" **She asks. I feel like telling her what a dumb question it was, but I don't.

"Desperately. I really want you guys to take her. You know as much as anyone that a little Trina goes a long way and that everyone needs a break every now and then."

I hear a long sigh come through the speaker of the phone. **"Fine, Tori. You owe us." **She says, reluctantly agreeing.

"Absolutely! I owe you guys, big time! I'll see you around two-thirty or three o'clock. Love you, Mom." I say.

**"Yeah, yeah, yeah… love you, too." **She hangs up. I immediately look over at Cat.

"Well, hello there." I raise my eyebrow to make myself look stupid. She laughs. "Your hair is looking quite strawberry-ish today."

"It's cherry… duh." She says, rolling her eyes in mock irritation.

I laugh a little as I back out of her driveway. "So how are you this morning?" I ask.

"I'm fine, I guess." She shrugs and looks out the window at the many houses we pass.

"Well, that's good."

"You know, except for the fact that my brother sat on my head and farted, I'm doing just great. How was your morning?" She asks.

"Um, that's a little gross. But, I guess my morning was okay. You know what, I take that back. Cat, I was so stressed. Like, you have no idea. You know how I have that small obsession with being on time?"

"Small?" She chuckles.

"Well, I wasn't on time. I'll say it that way. And my whole body was tense. I was going crazy because I couldn't find my purse. So I asked Trina if she had borrowed it and she, with a beyond annoyed and uncalled for tone said that she hadn't. By the way, she was dressed like a complete hooker today."

"Oh, really? How bad was it this time?"

"So you know how she's a 34B cup size?" I ask. She nods. "Well, she tried to make them look like she was wearing a 32D. It seriously looked like they were pushed up to her chin. And then she came out with these shorts that were one step below Daisy Dukes. They showed way too much leg. There's only a certain type of girl that can show that much leg."

"Wow… and she thought she looked good like that?"

"She sure did. She's probably still got it on." I shake my head. "Anyway, back to my purse… So Trina said she hadn't seen it, so I kept looking in my room. But it was nowhere. Like, it was gone. So I called for Trina again and she told me- again with an annoyed tone- to look in her room for myself. And guess where I found it?" I can feel my anxiety level rising just talking about this.

"In her room, I'm sure." She says.

"Yes! Right beside her bed. I was so irritated."

"What was she even doing with your purse?"

"Probably looking for money to waste. I bet the twenty dollar bill I had in there is gone now." I shake my head.

The rest of the car ride is virtually silent, except for occasional random thoughts that everyone knows Cat Valentine for. Plus, we had to sing a song. So we did that. But the rest of it was silent. It gave me time to think.

Not many people know this, but I have a crush on Cat. Don't know why. Don't know how it came to be. But I do. I've liked her since we sang LA Boyz at Nozu. The way she got into her music… they way she moved up on stage… it all made me look like a novice performer. I'm actually kind of jealous.

So yesterday, when Cat asked me if I could pick her up today, I was secretly ecstatic.

There aren't many things I couldn't live without. Of course, you've got your essentials: food, water, love, and family. Then come the non-essentials like animals, a car, and cell phone. But the one thing I know for a fact that I NEED is to hear a laugh come out of that redhead's mouth. It's not like I'm in love with her or anything… it's just so freaking satisfying.

"Tori, are you going to unlock the doors?" Cat asks. I must've completely zoned out.

"Are we here already?"

I look around to see the brick on the outside of Hollywood Arts up against the gray California sky. I look around like I don't know where I am.

"Yes, we've been here for like five minutes and you haven't even moved. Are you okay? Is everything right up there?" Her face shows genuine worry. It's kinda sweet.

"Cat, I'm totally fine. There's really no need to worry, which I'm pretty sure you are. I just zoned out. That's all." I unlock the car doors.

"Promise?"

"Yes, Cat. I promise." I smile, doing my best to reassure her.

She nods and smiles, the opens her door and steps out.

I do the same and wait for her to come around to my side of the car so we can walk together. But when she does reach me, she has a very flustered look on her face. Scratch that… scared. It's a scared look. I look at her with the exact same type of look she gave me just a minute ago.

"Cat…" I say as a huge gust of wind goes by. "Cat? What's wrong, Cat?"

She shakes her head and shrugs. "Nothing… it's nothing." She gives me a half-assed smile. I can tell it was forced and she wasn't really feeling what she was trying to portray.

"Okay…" I say. I wish I could say I believe what she's saying, but honestly, I don't. Cat is a brilliant actress. But the one thing she could never do is lie. She can play a character very well, but there's no way she can be a good liar.

"Tori, really, I'm fine." She says.

"I believe you." See, I can lie.

I smile at her and begin to walk towards the school. When she sees me get a little ways in front of her, she runs up beside me and grabs my hand. He grip is tight and her face shows that she's extremely tense. This is killing me. Maybe she'll come around.

"Looks like it's gonna rain later." I say.

"Oh, no. It's not going to rain. It's going to storm." Her grip tightens.

* * *

"SO…. That, my friends, is why Jonah Hill was so fat in The Sitter." Our crazy drama teacher, Sikowitz, says.

"So… how many blocks of cheese did he eat?" Andre asks.

"Seventy-three."

"Why didn't he explode? You know that backed his ass up! He must've not gone to the bathroom for weeks." Jade adds.

"How do you think he lost his weight?" Sikowitz asks. "He did blow up. When it happened, all his fat was blown off in the explosion.

"Oh, man!" The entire class exclaims.

"It's okay. Don't worry your little heads! The weight that actually got blown off is back already. He ate seventy-two cheese blocks this time. I guess he just realized that seventy-third one was one too many." Sikowitz laughs. "Okay, everybody… class is over. You can just hang out and play with your phones for the rest of the time."

"Is that not what we do anyway?" Jade asks.

"Yeah!" Says a girl in the back.

Jade turns around with a disgusted look on her face. "Shut up… you shrugger." The shrugger's face falls.

"Oh, Jade." Sikowitz says. "You're so sweet. Lucky man, Beck."

Beck rolls his eyes at Sikowitz's apparent sarcasm. Jade simply gives him a death stair that he's become so accustom to getting.

The intercom beeps. Everyone listens up. It's Helen.

"Teachers and Students, listen closely. Due to severe weather, Hollywood Arts will be dismissing early today. Right now, there is enough time for everyone to get home safely, but you all must hurry. Due to the rain, busses will not be running for those who need them. To whoever this applies to, please find a ride home with someone. A friend, your brother or sister… someone. Please be safe and try to have a good rest of the day."

"I guess we're going home." Beck says. "Come on, babe. We'll go back to your place. My RV won't be the safest place ever." Jade stands up and walks with Beck out of the room.

This is crazy. It's like seeing a unicorn because Los Angeles so rarely ever gets rain. It's almost a relief because all we see is sunshine. I know that sounds weird, but it actually is pleasurable.

"Cat, do you need a ride home?" I ask. I turn around to see her balled up in her chair, obviously scared to death.

Her eyes are very wide. I can hear her sharp breaths escaping her mouth. Her left hand is holding her right wrist tightly, making her knuckles white. Her face is flush.

"Cat…"

"Huh?" She says, suddenly reentering reality.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

"Um… yeah, sure…" She says.

"For an actress, you're not being very convincing, you know?" I kneel down beside her and grab her hand.

My cheeks become hot and my heart begins to race. Holding her hand was a possible mistake. But she needs me. And I need to be there for her. Something is obviously wrong.

"Cat… why don't you start telling me the truth? Please let me help you with whatever is happening." I say, truly concerned.

She stares blankly at me for a moment. I can tell she's trying to come up with an excuse for why she's acting this way.

"You see, I…" She says.

"No, Cat. No excuses. You can't just sit here and make up crap about why you're acting funny."

She huffs and stands up. "I'll tell you what; if you let me stay the night at your house, I'll talk to you about this issue I have, okay?" She asks. "We kind of have to leave now."

I think for a moment, pondering the offer she has presented me. I nod. I release her hand, but she quickly grabs it again, her knuckles white as snow.

We leave Sikowitz's room and exit the building after getting a couple of things out of our lockers.

When we reach the front of the school, rain is relentlessly pouring down on the Hollywood Arts campus. I look at Cat and see her putting on a rain jacket. I look at my flimsy umbrella.

"I don't think this umbrella is going to work." I laugh, trying to hide my being irritated.

"Do you not have a rain coat?" Cat asks.

"Oh, I do. It's probably packed up in our attic in a cardboard box. I just have never needed. It never gets below sixty degrees here and it very rarely rains."

"But when it rains, it pours." Her eyes are focused on the extreme rainfall. She takes a deep breath. "Are you ready? I don't want to be out too long in this."

"Yeah…" I say.

We take off in a sprint towards my car and open and shut the doors quickly.

I take one look at my hair and it looks terrible. My makeup is smeared all down my face and there's one little stream running down my cheek. My clothes are soaked and so is my car seat now. Or should I say seats. Cat's butt is probably wet, too. I look over. She's curled up in a ball again, only this time, she's shaking.

"Cat?" I whisper.

She jumps a mile into the air, which, in turn, made me jump a mile into the air.

"Cat, it's okay. You're okay. What's going on?" I ask.

Shaking, she says, "Just get me to your house. I'll talk then. I need a little time to…"

"What, Cat? To what?" I don't get an answer. While still paying a little attention to her, I have to primarily focus on the road. This rain is ridiculous. My phone rings. It's my mom.

"Hey, Mom, what's up?"

**"Tori, are you okay?" **She asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just struggling to see the road. I'm headed home right now. The school dismissed us due to severe weather." I say. "And I'm bringing a visitor."

**"A visitor? It's not that weird boy with the puppet is it?" **

"No, Mom, it is not the weird boy with the puppet. It's actually Cat. I'm bringing her home."

**"Oh! Is this the one you have a crush on?! I'll tell you, your father and I think she is just absolutely perfect for you! You know we always wanted…"**

"Mom, this isn't the time for this talk. I'm bringing Cat home and I want her to spend the night." I look over at her in the passenger's seat. Her shaking has ceased and her breathing has slowed… and she's asleep.

**"Why do you want her to spend the night? Are her parents not home?" **She asks.

I look at Cat again to make sure she's asleep. "Mom, she's been acting really funny today and I intend to figure out why, one way or another. So I'm kindly asking you to let her stay overnight."

**"I honestly don't think you're asking at all. I think that was a polite way of saying that she's going to spend the night over here."**

"That's exactly what that was." I say. I hear her chuckle. "We'll be there in a few. I'm about five minutes away."

**"Okay, sweetie. Be careful!" **She says.

"I will! Bye." I put my phone down and lean over to check on Cat. Probably not the safest thing to do, considering I can barely see the road.

"Cat?" I whisper.

"NOOO!" She screams. I almost lose control of the car, but I'm able to recover in time to see Cat crying into her hands. This hurts my heart.

"Cat, we're almost to my house. It's okay." A big crash of thunder makes her being to sob loudly and uncontrollably. It actually begins to make me cry, but I'm okay. I can still see the road. And I can also see the amount of emotional pain she's feeling right now.

"Tori, I'm so scared." She croaks. My driveway is in sight. I speed up a little to hurry up and get in it. I pull into our garage and park the car. There's another loud crash of thunder. This time, she actually jumps into my lap and buries her face into the crook of my neck, sobbing all the while.

I place one hand on her back and stroke the back of her head with the other.

"Shhhh, Cat, it's okay, girlie." I coo. "We're okay."

Although it's not a rocking chair, I find myself gently rocking Cat back and forth trying to slow down her sobs.

She wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me close. I lean my head back on the head rest and close my eyes, trying to contain the tears that so desperately want to fall down my already wet cheek.

"Cat," I choke. Holding back these tears is hard. "Cat we need to get inside. It's safer in there, okay?" Her hold on me doesn't loosen up any. Her sobs don't slow down any.

"Do you want me to carry you?" I ask. I feel her head nod. So I open the door, swing my legs out of the car, and let Cat wrap her legs around my waist. I can't tell you how much it hurts to see the girl I care about the most… no, scratch that. I can't tell you how much it hurts to see the thing I care most about in the world hurt like this.

This is no fear of a spider or a fear of the dark. This is a fear of a storm. But there's a reason why she's scared. I can tell. But I don't what it is.

I carry her into the house. My Mom and Dad, and surprisingly Trina, jump up to tend to a sobbing Cat, each with a worried look on their faces.

"Guys, give her some space. Move back." I say. They take a few steps back while keeping an extremely watchful eye on her.

"Tori," Dad says, "why don't you get her upstairs and get her cleaned up?"

I nod and continue to carry her upstairs, even though my muscles feel like they're jello. I set her on my purple bed.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to go get you some dry clothes." I let her go, but she won't let go of me. The back of my hand is up against her cheek. I can actually feel the tears falling onto my skin. They burn… I can feel the pain inside them.

"Tori, please don't go." Her voice cracks numerous times. It's rather pitiful. I lean down close to her face and analyze every part of it. Every single part of that beautiful, flawless face (except for the tears). I place my hand on her cheek and stroke it gently.

"Cat… I'm going to be right back. My closet is just over there." I point to a set of French doors on the far wall of my room. "Nothing is going to happen to you. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call for me, okay?"

Her sobs are gradually slowing down as she nods. Her eyes look like puddles on the ground after a hard summer rain. A tear rolls down her face. I brush it away with my thumb and hurry off to my closet.

I grab Cat a pair of my extra girly pajamas for her to wear. Even though it's not exactly night time, I can't imagine her wanting to do anything or go anywhere during this storm. So they'll work. I don't really care what I grab. I just get a pair of running shorts and a tee shirt.

I run back over to her to see that her sobbing has completely stopped, although her crying hasn't.

I hand her the clothes and she gladly takes them. Who wouldn't be appreciative of warm, dry clothes when all you have are wet, cold ones? She forces out a smile.

"Thank you." She says, voice hoarse from the prolonged crying. She smiles again, wrapping her arm around my neck, only this time, there is no sobbing. She squeezes tightly. "Thank you for everything. I'm sorry if my screaming hurt your ears." She laughs… kinda.

"No, it didn't hurt my ears at all." I say. "It did hurt my heart, though."

She gasps as her jaw drops. "Is your heart okay? Did you have a heart attack?" She asks.

"No, Cat." I close my eyes and put a hand on my forehead, trying to keep my composure. "I- I mean, I was hurting because you were so obviously hurting." She looks down at the ground.

"I'm sorry that I hurt you." She frowns.

"No, no, no… It's…" I pause. "You didn't hurt me intentionally. It's a different kind of hurt, really. I was hurting because you were upset. That's all it was. When you jumped in my lap in the car, so much was going through my head because, for one, I didn't know what was going on. And two, I recognized that you were hurting and that I couldn't stop it because I didn't know what was making you hurt."

She looks at me, confused.

"That didn't make the slightest bit of sense to you, did it?"

"No." She shakes her head.

"Let's see if you understand it this way: you being sad made me sad." I say.

"Oh."

"Now… why don't you tell me what exactly the problem was?"

Cat swallows hard. "Okay… before you knew me, I didn't have red hair." She says. "I didn't have the whole 'stupid girl' reputation. I wasn't the flirty type. And I wasn't as sweet as I am now."

The way she started this is completely twisted. I'm not exactly sure where she's going with it. I run back over what she said quickly to see if I could pull something from it to no avail.

"Okay, and?"

"Well, I turned into the Cat you know about a year before you came to Hollywood Arts. I lived with my mom, my dad, my brother…" she closes her eyes and sighs. "… and my little sister."

"But you don't have a sister." She nods with a sad expression on her face.

"Right. But I did. And her name was Mandy. Mandy was the sweetest little girl you would've ever met. Anyone who came into contact with her… their moods were instantly bettered simply by looking at Mandy's smile. That's the way it was with everyone. Everyone loved her."

"And what happened? How does this connect to thunder and storms and stuff?" I ask.

"Well," She starts, "My mom, Mandy, and I were driving to La Jolla. We have some family up there. And the day we go up there, it just so happens to be storming. Don't ask me what had gotten into my mom's head. But we were driving up there and having a good time. I was sitting behind my mom and Mandy was sitting beside me." The tears that had stopped falling are now streaming again and I can tell what's coming next.

I put my hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Cat."

"She was sitting beside me and… we got t-boned on her side. It killed her. It killed her immediately." She's crying audibly now.

"How did that kill her? Shouldn't it have just broken a bone or two?"

"She was sixty-something pounds, Tori. She was a little girl. That kind of force probably would've put even me within an inch of my life." She cries. "If only I could've been sitting in her seat, she'd still be here."

"Yeah, and you wouldn't be."

"Tori, I would've much rather been dead and her be alive than the other way around. She could've done so much with herself. She had so much ahead of her." She says.

She collapses in my arms and cries. "I just have one more question." I whisper. "Why does the fact that it's storming affect you so badly?" She leans back.

"The last thing I heard before we got hit was a crash of thunder. And now, whenever I hear it, I feel like it's going to happen again. Why do you think I jumped onto you in the car? Why do you think I wouldn't let you go just a second ago? I'm worried that the thunder is going to take you."

I lean close to her face and look into her eyes. "Cat, nothing is going to take me away from you. When my time comes, I feel like I'll know if it's close. And I don't feel like it's anywhere near that time. You're not losing me any time soon." I say, putting my hand on her shoulder.

She nods and smiles with tears still falling. "I'm still scared of thunder, though. Nothing will change that."

"I don't expect it to. But I want to help you conquer it; conquer that fear. Will you work with me?" She nods. "It's going to take a long time." She nods again.

I smile and give her a big hug.

"What do you say you get changed and we can go downstairs and get something to eat? We can even eat it up here!" I say, and her face instantly becomes happier. That automatically makes me feel better.

"Okay, yeah, that sounds good. What are we getting?" She asks.

"I don't know." I say. "I was thinking a couple of salads… maybe a little peppy cola. We can pull and all-nighter! Kind of like a girls night. How does that sound?"

She doesn't answer right away. I can tell by her body language that an all-nighter isn't something she's particularly dying to do.

"I'm not sure if that's something I want to do tonight, Tori. I'm really, really tired. I think I'll just eat and nap the rest of the day, if you don't care." She says.

"I get it. Why don't you get changed and meet me downstairs? Sound like a plan?" I turn around and head for my door.

"Tori!" She exclaims. I turn around, instantly. "Can you just turn around and not look? I don't want you to leave."

"Cat, trust me, I'm not going anywhere. I'll just be down in the kitchen." I smile.

"Tori, please…" I can't resist that pitiful tone in her voice. I sigh and smile.

"Okay, I'll stay up here. But hurry. I'm starving to death."

"Death?" She asks. Shit.

"No, no, no, Cat, that's not what I meant." I run over to her to see that she is without a shirt.

"TURN AROUND!" She yells, still crying.

"I'm sorry!" I'm really not that sorry. "That's just… that's not what I meant. It's just a figure of speech. I promise, Cat. I'm not dying. I'm not going to leave you. No storm could take me away from you."

It's silent for a moment. "Okay. You can turn around now." I turn around to see a fully clothed Cat standing there with a pouty look on her face with red eyes and tears on her cheeks.

I walk over to her and wipe the tears away. I lean down to give her a big hug, and lucky for me, I receive one back. I squeeze her tightly and pull away. I look down at the sad face of my best friend.

"I'm really sorry about… that." I say.

"How about we just forget about that and go get something to eat?" She laughs, lightly.

"Sounds good." I laugh as well and follow her down the stairs.

When we reach the bottom, we see my parents sitting together on the couch watching a movie. They hear our footsteps falling behind them and turn around with caring expressions on their face. They each get up and walk towards us.

"Cat, are you okay, sweetie?" My mom asks.

She nods. "Yes, I'm okay for now. If this storm outside would just stop, I think I'd be doing much better. But Tori helped me calm down and I'm definitely better." Cat replies with a smile on her face.

"Now, Cat," My dad starts, "if you don't mind me asking, what was it that had you so torn up?"

"The storm."

"Yes, I know about the storm, but why did it make you cry so badly? Did that mean girl you girls hang out with say something to make them sound scary?" He asks. "Because if she did, I can send an officer over there right now."

"No, please, Mr. Vega. Jade didn't do anything, surprisingly."

"Then what?"

Cat lowers her head. When she lifts it up, she's teary eyed, obviously thinking of Mandy. However, even though she is undoubtedly upset, she tries to smile.

"Just… it's nothing but it's something. I don't exactly feel comfortable talking about it at this particular moment. But rest assured, Tori has helped me considerably. There's really nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure?" My mom gives Cat a quick hug and returns to my dad's side.

"Absolutely. But you guys don't know how much I appreciate your concern. I'm not family. I'm not one of your daughters or anything. Hell, I'm really not even that close to you. But for you to go out of your way to make sure I'm okay… It really means a lot." She smiles and hugs them both.

"Cat, it's really no problem. You're obviously considered family in Tori's eyes. So it's only fitting that you be considered family in our eyes, as well." Mom says.

"She's right, girlie. You're welcome here anytime you like. Feel free to stay here until you feel comfortable enough to leave." Dad adds.

"Seriously… this unbelievable generosity you're both showing me... thank you so much." Cat says.

"Really, it's not a problem." Mom smiles. "Now, would you two girls like something to eat?"

"Actually," I say, "we were coming down for that exact reason. We were planning on eating salads. Is there any way…"

"I could make them for you?" She completes my sentence. "Sure. It's not like we're going to San Francisco in all this weather, anyway."

As my mom turns away to make the salads, I turn to face Cat. I stare at her swollen eyes, bloodshot read from her crying. I can almost see the dried tear stains on her beautiful face.

No one that beautiful should ever have to cry. Why is the world such a sad place. Why are there always things around you that make you cry?

"Tori, what are you staring at?" Cat asks.

I'm suddenly shaken from my trance for the second time in one day.

"I was staring? At what?" I ask.

"Me. You were staring at me. What were you thinking about?"

"Um… Just how… just how the world is full of hurt and sadness. How it just takes that one thing to make you miserable."

"Well, you realize, don't you, that if I hadn't been made miserable, you could've never helped me talk about Mandy."

"Yeah, I realize that. I just feel bad that I can't help you get completely over this fear immediately. I'm going to help you all I can, but…" She grabs my hand.

"Don't worry. I may be closer to overcoming it than you think." She says as my mom hands us our salads.

* * *

After a night of crying, eating, laughing, singing, and a little more crying, Cat had finally calmed down. She didn't get too scared. And to be completely honest, the word thunder was never spoken.

Cat decided for the both of us that we were going to watch the Little Mermaid. She said that after Mandy died, she constantly watched the little mermaid. She felt comfortable and encouraged when she saw Ariel swimming through the ocean and singing her heart out.

The Little Mermaid, she said, was what got her into singing. Then she took up dancing. And then acting. And that's how she recouped after Mandy's death. When I asked her if she ever thought about giving up on everything, she said she did for a brief period, but then went on to say that she knew her little sister, whom she loved so much, wouldn't have wanted it that way.

After our stressful day, we went to sleep. Cat wanted to sleep in my bed, which was weird but extremely pleasant at the same time.

You know what, I take it back. There was nothing weird about it. It was just pleasantness.

I dreamt about her. We were at the beach. There was ice cream, tanning, swimming in the ocean, and Cat Valentine in a bikini. You just can't go wrong with Cat. But sadly, it was a dream and I had to wake up.

My eyes open to a dark room, which confuses me because I could've sworn that I'd been asleep for eight hours. There's no way. I look at the clock on my nightstand and it says two-forty-five in the morning. No way.

"Cat?" I mumble. No answer.

"Cat, are you awake?" No answer. I look over to the side of the bed she was sleeping on only to see that it is missing a tiny little redhead laying on it.

I blink a few time and rub my eye, thinking I may be seeing things… or… not seeing things? But sadly, Cat is nowhere in sight.

I stand up out of bed and quickly walk over to my bathroom to see if she's in there. Then I look at the hall bathroom and the linen closet. They also show no signs of Cat.

"Cat?" I call out quietly as walk down the stairs. "Cat? Where are you?"

At the base of the stairs, I take a look at the kitchen and then a look to my right. Suddenly, my adrenaline starts pumping and my heart starts beating fast. The front door is wide open. And it's pouring rain… and thundering.

I spring out off the door and out into the rain.

"Cat!?" I shout. "Cat!?"

Out of my peripheral vision, I see a figure sitting near the end of my driveway. Without hesitation, I run to it. Thank God, it's Cat. She's sitting with her legs crossed Indian style, hands to her face, sobbing again.

I pull her hands off of her face. Everything is soaking wet, my nice pajamas included. She's sobbing just as bad as she was on the way home from school.

"Cat, are you okay? What the hell are you doing out here!?" I ask.

"I- I- I-I- I-"

"Cat, take deep breaths. In and out, in and out." She finally slows down enough so she can speak.

"I- I had to do this, Tori." She says.

"Why? Why did you have to do this?"

"I had to. I had to."

"Please tell me… what did you have to do?"

"I had to prove it to myself. I just had to." She says, still struggling to keep her composure.

"Cat, what did you have to prove?"

"That- that it would be okay. That it would be okay if I left you alone and heard thunder." She lets a little squeak slip out. "I've been convinced for a long time that the thunder was out to hurt me. Out to hurt my family. Out to hurt the people I love. So I had to prove to myself that it wouldn't take the one that I love the most. You." What?

"I love you, Tori." She says. "I did this to prove to myself that the thunder didn't want to hurt me. Hurt you. And now I know that if you're still here… everything is okay. I love you."

Like an idiot, I don't say a word.

"It's always been you, Tor. Always. From the moment I first heard you sing 'Make It Shine' to when we sang LA Boyz, it's always been you. Hell, even when you sprayed me with cheese, I still loved you. And I've always been afraid to admit it until now."

There's no way. Cat loves me. Cat. The Cat I've been in love with for the longest. She loves me.

I finally break from my gaze.

"So… you love me?" I ask.

"Yes. So much." She replies.

I look into her eyes, and although it's dark out, I can still see all the love that is in them. I place my hand on her cheek. I slowly lean in and capture her lips. They're just as soft as I thought they would be. The feeling can't be matched by anything. We pull apart.

I look down at her swollen lips. Seeing her lips parted makes me want to kiss them again, so I do. I think I'll coin a new phrase. "Second kisses are always the best." We pull apart again.

I trace her lips with my thumb, and then I stroke her hair.

"I love you, too." I say, quietly.

She smiles and lowers her head.

"This is so cliché." I laugh.

"Why do you say?" She asks.

"Just… this. Confessing our love for each other and kissing in the rain. It just… I don't know. It's just something you would usually see in a story book."

"Maybe our relationship will be like a story book." I stand up, as does she.

"Possibly. But there's just one thing I'd like to do." I say.

"And what might that be?"

"You know how story books are written by other people?" She nods. "Well, I'd like to write our own book and our own ending."

"I completely agree." She says as we walk inside the front door and into the living room.

"Now, tell me if you agree that we should get out of these clothes and into a dry set."

"I agree." She grabs my hand and pulls me up the stairs.

As we climb, a crash of thunder sounds, however, there is one thing different. Cat's grip didn't tighten on my hand.

And now, as we enter my room, I realize that whether I like it or not, I'm invested into Cat. I have to take care of her. I have to help her through these tough things.

And I also realize one more thing: she'll always be with me and no matter what, we'll always be weathering storms… together.

**A/N: So, that was my first attempt at a oneshot. I sincerely hope you all enjoyed it. I certainly loved writing it. It was a challenge. I've been sitting on this idea for a while and now that it's finally done, I'm actually quite proud of it. Thank you to all who read it.**

**ALSO: I am currently on summer vacation. And I'll be going to Panama City, Florida here in about two or three weeks. So up until then, I'll be thinking of some ideas for my next multi-chapter story. And then when I return home, I'll try to start writing. Again, thank you for reading.**


End file.
